Exhaling valve



Sept. 26, 1944. SMWH 2,359,008

EXHALING VALVE Filed Feb. '7, 1941 3 30 Inventor; i2- 2s or'is J. Smith.

v .g, B 4 2 \j go Fig-4 6 Kttorne Patented Sept. 26, 1944 EXHALING VALVE Oris J. Smith, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor to Air Reduction Company, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application February 7, 1941, Serial No. 377,787

3 Claims. My invention relates to exhaling valves adapted to be used in connection with means includ ing a mask applied to the face of the wearer and providing a closed breathing line, that is, breathing passages wherein, by the use of supplied oxygen and carbon dioxide absorber material, the wearer inhales only from within the system and exhales only a predetermined portion of a given volume of gas inhaled which has means of escape provided by the valve structure.

There are conditions under which such a closed breathing line may have required use wherein it is important to definitely insure that no part of the fluid in which the breather is immersed may by any possibility enter the breathing line through the exhaling valve. Such conditions are found where the apparatus is used under water or in spaces filled with noxious or poisonous gases. 1

It is therefore a particular object of my invention to provide an exhaling valve, adapted to be used in connection with a closed breathing line, of such a nature that at no time during exhalation-at the moment it begins, while it is taking place or at the moment it ends or after it endscan there be any introduction into the breathing line of the fluid surrounding the wearer.

To accomplish this object it is a further object of my invention to provide an exhaling orifice having a surrounding valve lip and a grilled or apertured face across the end of the opening in conjunction with a disc of exceedingly thin and pliant material impervious to the passage of fluid such as air and water, whereby upon inhalation at the end of a period of exhalation this pliant and flexible disc will not only seat upon the valve seat but also will seat firmly across the apertured end of the valve opening, thus producing a multiple sealing action. A material suitable for this purpose is composed of woven fabric impregnated with rubber which is known commercially as lastex" and is about as freely pliable as thin silk fabric.

It is a further object of my invention to support' said pliant and flexible disc upon a second disc engaged by a plunger head of solid material such as brass or other metal, which plunger head in turn is engaged by a compression spring of substantially the diameter of the contact edge of the valve seat.

The full objects and advantages of my invention will appear in connection with the detailed description hereinafter given, and the structure by means of which the advantageous results coming from the practice of my invention are obtained will be particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawing illustrating an application of my invention in one form,

Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation view of a part of a closed breathing line including a. mask applied to the face of the wearer and showing one position for use of my exhaling valve.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation exterior view of the exhaling valve.

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation view 01' the exhaling valve and the tubular support for getting it in the closed breathing line taken on line 3-4 of Fig. 2 and presented on an enlarged scale for clear showing of details of construction.

Fig. 4 is a view of the exhaling valve similar to the view of Fig. 2 but taken from the opposite side thereof.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on line 55 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on line 6-4 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view of parts shown in Fig. 3 with the pliant, flexible disc in the inhalation position.

As shown, a casting III is provided with tubular extensions II and I2. Extension H is adapted to receive a connection II from a mask ll normally to be worn as indicated in Fig. 1. Extension i2 is adapted to receive a. tubular member l5 going to any form of apparatus for supplying oxygen and absorbing carbon dioxide in a well-known way. In other words, the casting l0 and extensions H and I2 taken together form a part of a passage in a closed breathing line. A second casting I0 is provided with a cylindrical extension '6 which is formed with a multiplicity of apertures l1 and which is externally threaded. as clearly indicated at 18 in Fig. 3. This threaded portion l8 of cylindrical extension I6 is adapted to receive a cylindrical part IQ of a 'cap 20 which is internally threaded, as indicated at 2| of Fig. 3, and is screwed upon the threads l8 of the cylindrical extension l8, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. Preferably the cylinder 19 is provided with a narrowed ring portion 22 and the cap 20 is provided with a knurled ring portion 23 to facilitate ready turning and locking of the parts. The locking action is effected by means of a spring finger 24 which normally engages the knurled edge of the ring 22, thereby holding the cap 20 and the parts carried thereby in any set position. The cap, 20 is provided the inner surface of the cap 20, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. A nut 30 further clamps the member 21 upon the cap 20. The top of cap 20 is spaced from the end 3i of cylindrical extension l5 so that said cap and the flange 28 may be pro- Jected inwardly or outwardly along the cylindrical extension [6 in co-action with the threads,

i8 and 2i.

The casting I0 is provided with an internally threaded cylindrical opening 32 in which isv screwed an external cylindrical portion 33 of casting l0, Fig. 3. Casting I0 is also formed with an annular flange member 34, of which the cylindrical member I6 is an extension. An annular valve seat 35 surrounds the end of cylindrical member 33 and is spaced as indicated at 36 in Fig. 3 from a top member 31 which closes the end ofthe opening 38 extending through the cylindrical extension 33. The top portion 31 is provided with a multiplicity of holes 38 through which the exhalation gases are caused to pass before they go over the edge of annular valve seat 35 and through apertures I! to the outside of the system.

The member 21 is formed with a. central aperture or circular channel 40 in which slides a pin 41 fast on a disc 42 which is circular and extends beyond the limits of the annular valve seat 35. Upon the face of the disc 42 is cemented a rubber disc 43 of the same diameter as disc 42. A strong compression spring 44 surrounds member 21 and engages the disc 42 in a position substantially above the circular edge of valve seat 35, the spring tending to force the discs 42 and 43 toward the valve seat 35 with a pressure which may be varied as desired by rotation of the threaded cap member I9, 20, as will be clearly understood from Figures 2 and 3.

An essential feature of the applicants invention is the provision of a disc 45 of some extremely flexible and pliable material such. as lastex, which is of substantially the circular area of the area outlined by the inner walls of the member 16. The disc 45 floats freely between the rubber disc 43 and the perforated end wall 31 of passageway 38. This disc is of highly flexible and pliable material and at the same time is impervious to the passage of air. On exhalation it rides against the rubber disc 43 as the force of exhalation pushes the assemblage back against the force of spring 44 to permit the exhaled gases to pass over the circular edge of valve seat 35. Instantly upon stopping of exhalation and beginning of inhalation the sprin 44 will cause the disc 45 to engage the circular edge of valve seat 35, and at the same time reduction of pressure within passageway 38 through inhalation will cause the flexible disc 45 to be brought in close contact with the whole surface of the end closure 37, thus sealing the passageway 38 over the holes 39 effectively in addition to the sealing at the circular edge of the valve seat v35. i

This valve seat has a sloping wall 46 which is cut into the member 80 as clearly shown at 4'! of Fig. 3, leaving an annular raised rim 4B which in eilect. projects the closure 31 as a sort of protruding table where it will most effectively receive and seat the flexible disc 45.

As a guide for positioning the threaded cap member ll, :0 I provide thereon a distinctive line 30 which may be colored red and which is adapted to cooperate with a pointer ll held between the castings l4 and II. Fig. 4. when the pointer and line are in the relative positions of Fig. 4 the apparatus is set for normal operation. As shown in Fig. 2, calibrations may be applied to the drum portion l8 which may carry figures if desired indicating the millimeters of pressure to open the valve. The spring finger 24 may be employed as a pointer indicating relative position of the drum II in respect to the calibrations indicated at 52, Fig. 2, and stops 53 and 54 limit the degree of rotation of drum l3.

The advantages of my invention have been in the main pointed out in the preceding description. As stated at the outset the exhaling valve is of particular utility when used under conditions where it is desirable to certainly exclude all the fluid (water or noxious gases) which surrounds the user. Since it is an exhaling valve the valve casing itself must on each exhalation be opened to the space filled with such surrounding fluid. It is the peculiar function and the great advantage coming from the use of my invention that upon reverse operation at termination of exhalation and beginning of inhalation there is an instantaneous and perfect seal effected which will certainly prevent any of the surrounding fluid from finding its way past the valve closure and into the breathing line.

It will be apparent that when such a valve is used-say at considerable depth in the waterthe external pressure tending to force the fluid into the breathing line will be relatively great. If the seal were made only at the edge of the valve seat, as is customary with exhaling valves of known types, the small area of the valve closur might not be sufficient to resist this pressure and injection of fluid might take place. My invention, however, provides a secondary seal engaging the relatively large area of the face of the end member covering the holes therethrough, which in conjunction with the seal at the edge of the valve seat, is effective to prevent any ingress of surrounding fluid even where there is great pressure exercised by that fluid.

I claim:

1. An exhaling valve, comprising a casing portion adapted to be inserted in a closed breathing line and having an inlet passageway, said passageway having an end member formed with an external plane surface and a multiplicity of perforations therethrough, a valve seat, a second casing portion surrounding and being spaced from the valve seat, a plunger in the second casing portion having a disc overlying the valve seat, a sprin in the second casing portion engaging the plunger disc in an annular line substantially over the edge of the valve seat, and a floating disc of thin pliable material between the plunger disc and the valve seat adapted to seal first against said valve seat and then over said perforations.

2. An exhaling valve adapted for use in a body of fluid to be excluded from the inside of the valve, comprising a casing portion adapted to be inserted in a closed .breathing line and having an inlet passageway adapted to be immersed in said fluid, an end of said casing portion protruding from said pasageway and formed with a perforated partition across said passage with an exposed outer plane face. an edged annular valve seat formed on said casing portion and being spaced from the outer annular wall of said end portion and having its edge in a plane outside of the plane of said face, a plunger in the casing having a circular head, and a floatan inlet passageway adapted to be immersed in said fluid, an end 01' said casing portion protruding from said passageway and formed with a perforated partition across said passage with I an exposed outer plane face, an edged annular valve seat formed on said casing portion and being spaced from the outer annular wall of said end and having its edge in a plane outside of the plane of said face, a plunger in the casing having a circular head, a floating disc of thin pliable material between the plunger head and valve seat, and a helical spring engaging the plunger head in a circle directly above the annular seat edge.

' ORIS J. SMITH. 

